Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** May 1, 2025
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Russian Mercenaries in Africa: A Closer Look
Russian private military contractors or mercenaries, such as the Wagner Group, have proliferated across Africa since 2018. Moscow uses these groups to develop relationships with African partners and expand its global footprint. Mercenaries also serve as an important source of revenue for the Kremlin.
A new RAND report examines how Russia's armed presence in Africa has changed in recent years, what types of activities Russian mercenaries perform, and the effects these groups have on African governments, economies, and civilian populations.
Overall, the analysis reveals increasing violence, human rights abuses, and negative public sentiment surrounding Russian mercenaries in Africa. "Rather than addressing security issues and building defense capacity for countries they operate in," the authors write, "Russian mercenaries seek to exploit and profit off insecurity." As a result, the security situations in countries that employ these groups are worsening.
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Countering China's U.S. Spy Network
In recent years, China has been amassing a deep bench of sources and contacts to grow its network of spies in the United States. "It's a numbers game," says RAND's Ian Mitch, "and China has the advantage." What's more, these spies might be developing the skills to physically sabotage critical infrastructure should a U.S.-China conflict break out. That's why U.S. counterintelligence efforts must remain vigilant. Any sign that Washington is stepping back, Mitch says, "could embolden Beijing to become more aggressive with its operations on American soil."
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Are AI-Generated Medical Notes Really Any Worse?
Primary care doctors spend an average of two hours per day filling out electronic health records. Could AI take over this task? RAND physician policy researchers Shira Fischer and Sarah Gebauer say that, while AI-generated medical notes have serious flaws--including biases, inaccuracies, and reliance on outdated guidelines--these pitfalls are human problems, too. If AI can help doctors focus on patient care, and its notes are comparable in quality to current documentation, then that could be a step forward.
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** Events
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How Resilient Is China's Economy?
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 (Online)
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Policy Lab: Protecting Schools, Protecting Students
Thursday, May 22, 2025 (Online)
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Admissions Webinar: Master of National Security Faculty Panel
Wednesday, May 28, 2025 (Online)
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